The Truth Behind The Chestnut Ridge Program

[CRLionDawg]

I dont beleive Ron was very successful at PC. Which doesnt negate the fact that he was at CR. Overall he had a good staff in place. He was focused on doing what was necessary to improve the program and take it to the next level. He worked hard to help place athletes in college programs. Plus he had strong family ties to the District.

[Lefteyelouie]

There have been great coaches that aren't great at every place they go. For example. Joe Gibbs the second time with the Redskins. Fetzer in Somerset. Spurrier everywhere but Florida. My point is you can't judge coach Walters by his outcome at PC. I'm sure if he wanted to be a head coach he could find a job somewhere. Maybe being in this area is more important to him at this point then being a head coach.

Walters did a very good job with the CR program. I'm not going to pretend to know what happened with everything up there. But in my opinion CR took a big step backwards letting him go and they still haven't made up the ground they lost.

[Redemption]

He made huge strides for the program. He was there for all of the right reasons...the kids.

Look how many student athletes he coached during his 7-8 years there. How many went on to have above average college careers. Not knocking D. Wilkins...but how many has he had? E. Zeznanski? One in 7 seasons?
I think the track record speaks for its self.

Another accomplishment and a tribute to Ron's staff. Look where Jon Claar, Barry Rhodes, and Greg Feather ended up on the all-time stats. Claar is top 5-6 I believe, Rhodes all-time leading rusher, and Feather all-time receptions leader. They all graduated together. AMAZING!

Not to say R. Walters was a great coach or anything, he was above average. While he was there, the program was moving forward and becoming known by college scouts. Look how many student athletes left P.C. to go on to college and become succesful. The recruits prove that. Now why is there a decline in big recruits from Ridge and not Bedford?

Its not just wins or losses as a high school coach...its being a positive role model and helping student athletes move on to the next level if they so desire. Its what they do for the community and how they run a program, so in my opinion, R. Walters did an exceptional job at both places he coached.

[BOSSHOGG]

Just what do you call above average careers? I would like to know and the do the comparison with Bedford or when Coach Walters was at CR. What do you call a bug time recruit? Is it D1? That is what I would call a big time recruit. Eric Zeznanski played D2 and did a great job. There are more than just Eric that has gone on to play college football at some level. Now don't get me wrong, Bedford the last couple of years has done very well with the Harris brothers going to Maine and Crissey at WVU. Kids like the Harris brothers do not come around all the time. NBC doesn't have a Joe or AJ Nastasi every year either. There is a very important line in your statement also. IF THEY SO DESIRE. Put together some facts for us Redemption not just your opinion.

[Lefteyelouie]

I agree with you for once BOSSHOGG. Bedford with the Harris boys isnt normal for this area. Crissey wasn't a big recruit out of HS. He made himself a D-I player through hard work and dedication after he left Bedford. There have been some D-I caliber kids come out of this area but don't pursue it for either lack of recruiting or lack of confidence in their own ability. I don't think you can really judge a HS program by the amount of kids they send to college football or the kids success once they get there. HS football and college football are very, very different.

[Opinionguy]

Hogg and Lefteye raise some good points.

In the case of FH...I can't recall a player moving to play college football since 01.

Besides...although getting kids into college is important (if they want to play), shouldn't a coach be able to win without that caliber of talent?

The fact of matter is that CR's big excuse of why they left the LHAC is b/c of the LHAC becoming an All-Sport conference.

It is a valid reason...and whether it was a good decision or not...they will use that excuse for the rest of time.

The excuse that CR doesn't put out good athletes is hogwash. CR puts out just as many good athlete's as any other school. There aren’t many schools in PA who put out big time athletes year in and year out. A lot of these guys on this board thump their chest about that WPIAL…well it’s just as Bosshogg said…they have a lot more schools to pull from than this area. That’s the bottom line. It’s all a numbers thing.

I'd trade a Claar (CR) for a Myers (FH), or maybe a Rhodes (CR) for a Felix (FH), or a Barefoot (CR) for a Rearick (FH)...I think you get the point. So why does one school have a good reputation for football, while the other is a laughing stock?

I definitely think redemption hit some good points in his arguments about the attitude at CR being the major issue. Everyone that has been involved with the program and it's decisions for a long period of time is part of the problem for some extent.

There is nothing harder to do than to change around a losing program. Especially in football because it involves so much.

But there is no doubt that the first step is to get the right STAFF, not just a head coach in place to get the ball rolling, then you need school board support...and community support will follow with a few W's.

There is no doubt however that "change" is something that needs to be done. Whatever that "change" is.

Unless of course you enjoy having your program being below average and never competing for a district championship.

Now this cracks me up b/c I've argued these points with the same knuckleheads for years now...and they claimed "Oh the program is turning around...just you see".

3 years later...same results, same gripes.

No change = no results.

[BOSSHOGG]

Change is good and think back to when CR changed to the ICC, before that the only teams they were competing with was Vo-tech, Somerset, and Cambria Heights. They had no confidence and the kids were not comming out. I know the one year they had a couple injuries and couldn't line up a team to practice against. They made the playoffs only twice under coach Walters and most people said the one year was a gift because D5 was promised 2 spots if they had winning records. Results of that was no playoff wins but came close to upsetting United the one year. Now the program at least is getting more kids out because of winning regardless of the competion and made the playoffs the last 3 years in a row. Still no playoff wins but all of the other things are better and a playoff win could be getting closer. You can't win one if your not there. The confidence of the kids of the kids has improved and without that you can not improve on the others.

[Redemption]

The kids that are out for football today have either forgotten or don’t know about the times in the LHAC. Their confidence is just fog on the mirror. This confidence was gift wrapped about 5 years ago. Of course they should go 7-2 and make the playoffs several years in a row.

Several, not all, of the schools are smaller, under funded, and under staffed. It would be embarrassing not to make the playoffs. Shooting fish in the barrel, so to speak. These student athletes are ignorant to the situation. It’s a fact that the ICC conference is an easy road to the playoffs for teams like CR and Bellwood.

These kids will find out week 10 what it is all about.

Let’s say they win. Then what happens? That game has already lost its prestige. The kids do not know the Bedford/Ridge game like it was before. If they do win, you better get used to hearing…well they had to beat up on the kids in the sand box for a while before they challenged the bully on the playground.

If they lose…we go back to the sandbox with our black eye. Much like we did in 2001, only to sit and wonder…why can’t we beat the kids from across I 99? Then we will make up some excuses why we lost (Blue Flu, refs cheated us, the sun was in my shoe, the rocks were in my eye, blah…blah…blah), and people will forget in a couple of years.

Fog on the mirror.

We can’t compete because we make excuses, try to gift wrap confidence, and cheer like no other when they beat who they are supposed to beat. Make a spectacle out of whipping single A schools 28-7. Tell them how great they are; put that chip back on their shoulder…while the bully sits on his thrown laughing his…off. Make them feel like they have achieved greatness (7-2, a home playoff game). When in all actuality they have just lived up to small expectations.

[Lefteyelouie]

I wouldn't lump Bellwood in with CR. 1st of all Bellwood is single A. 2nd They don't play entirely ICC teams. They have teams like Tyrone and Hunington on their schedule.

[foghorn]

Good Lord, Redemption, you make this all sound a thousand times more important than it is. It's just freaking football -- as great a game ever invented under God's green earth -- but still just a game!

I talked to a current Ridge player the other day -- not my son -- who was angry and confused because it seemed to him that certain people made him feel that he had no right to take any pride whatsoever in any of the wins he's participated in over the past three years. And he indicated that with the losses during that same time span he was made to feel an incredible sense of shame.

Crap!